


Having A Ball

by MusclesKrenzer



Category: Carmilla (Web Series)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-23
Updated: 2014-10-23
Packaged: 2018-02-22 07:08:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2499065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MusclesKrenzer/pseuds/MusclesKrenzer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Danny asks Laura to be her date to a very important ball. Laura feels like she could just sing. Hilarity ensues.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Having A Ball

**Author's Note:**

> There are always things I feel I can change about my work, so I'm just biting the bullet and posting. There are so many ways this idea can go. Here's the tip of the iceberg.

Laura Hollis was in no way prepared for the Annual Silas U All Hallow’s Eve Masquerade Ball.

According to the student body, everyone goes all out. It is arguably the most important soiree held on campus. It’s sponsored by every club in student life. It would be social suicide not to attend.

Although, word on the street is that it’s kind of _actual_ suicide to attend.

Having a natural compulsion to know everything there possibly is to know about any given subject…Laura put on her investigative hat (no, really. She has an actual hat; it’s actually a little reminiscent of _Blossom)_. Three vanilla pumpkin spice mochas and two yellow legal pads later, Laura knew everything she needed to know about the ASUAHEB (say that acronym three times fast).

Apparently, every year since its inception, a deadly event occurs. The Terrible Dragon Attack of 1983. The Zetas’ Freshmen Virgin Sacrifices of 1991 (which they have since apologized for profusely and which kind of explains their commitment to the current well-meaning if not poorly executed _dude-_ scort system). The Gruesome Flesh Eating Virus Outbreak of 2003. The list is seemingly endless and yet not a single person telegraphed a lick of fear about any of it.

While she may not exactly understand the blatant disregard for personal safety, every single student she interviewed agreed upon one thing. Asking someone to be your date to the ball is the absolute _highest honor_ at Silas. Which Laura finds a tad absurd. What, absolutely nothing else is of merit? A diploma. Graduating with honors. No prestigious award could compare to whom you should suck face with at what is essentially just a silly school dance?

Laura began to come around when a certain redheaded Lit TA and Summer Society _goddess_ casually brought up the ball at an impromptu coffee meeting under the pretense of “discussing” Laura’s favorite book, “Are You There God, It’s Me Alice in-Frankenstein: The Secret Garden.”

“What do you think, Hollis?” Danny cocks her head to side, grinning adorably. It takes Laura everything inside of her not to leap across this small cafe table and kiss her face into oblivion. Sure, they would get looks from passing strangers, but who cares? As if two women consensually expressing mutual sexual attraction is the weirdest occurrence on this godforsaken campus.

Laura is about halfway through planning a civil rights march and the indignity of it all before she realizes it’s been at least 45 seconds of awkward silence. Danny looking at her curiously, almost _nervous_ (oh, to have the upper hand), cocking her head to the other side with a “You in there?” She casually reaches a long arm across the table and softly touches the side of Laura’s head and damn it, the temptress has the upper hand again.

Laura lets out a particularly squeaky voice (curse you, puberty) and asks, “You mean like a date? At the murder ball?”

Danny becomes uncharacteristically flustered for a moment, a slight blush creeps to her ears. “Uh, I mean. If you want it to be? It’s usually a ton of fun, and I’ll keep you safe…um, if it’s something…that you’d want?” She finishes off with what, Laura decides, is quite possibly the most adorable clearing of one’s throat to have ever happened. She makes a mental note to create such a certificate with her totally wizard photoshop skills and present it to Danny later.

“Yes.” Laura replies without another thought. Danny releases a breath she seemingly held for centuries. The smaller girl furrows her tiny brow and adds “But, I can hold my own, you know. Krav Maga, remember? I can take you out.” ( _With just my thighs_ , she adds as an afterthought. She chastises herself, but mostly thinks that death by sweet lady lovin’ might not be so bad).

Visibly relaxed, Danny just smiles and says “Duly noted. I’ll pick you up at 8, Hollis.” She simply winks and walks away. Laura swears the girl’s feet barely touch the ground and she can practically hear the chorus of “Heaven is a Place on Earth” as she watches Danny go. But, like, seriously though. Somebody needs to turn down their stereo. Laura loves 80s power pop as much as the next gal, but is sure there’s a noise ordinance.

Then, the panic sets in that Laura just agreed to a date occurring in less than 5 hours and has absolutely nothing to wear.

* * *

 

“This _is_ a date, right?” Laura asks her trusted council and self-appointed gay moms, Perry and LaFontaine. She still can’t seem to believe that the tall gay redhead might have the hots for the tiny gay cookie fiend (LaFontaine’s words, not her own). She absent-mindedly picks articles of clothing out of her closet, holding them up in the mirror.

Perry gently assures her, “Laura. I asked Susan to borrow a pencil approximately 387 times before she finally caught on that it wasn’t the pencils I was after.” She playfully nudges her paramour’s side.

“I thought you liked pencils…” LaF deadpans.

“And I still have them all.” Perry affectionately boops her on the nose and a resounding gag echoes throughout the room.

It seems that Carmilla, Laura’s roommate and own personal hell, had been in attendance all along. Seemingly mistaken for a pile of pillows and sarcasm.

“Don’t you have literally anywhere else in the world to be?”  Laura huffs and places her hands on her hips (what some may refer to as “her default state”).

“As much as I would _love_ to stay and chat about the very tall, very annoying object of your very tiny, very annoying affection…you’re right. I don’t do Balls. Anymore. So, I’m out.” With that mysterious statement, Carmilla grabs her leather jacket and exits unceremoniously, stopping to briefly to lean in and make Perry uncomfortable. LaFontaine crosses her arms and steps in front of her girl with a “I will make crazy science on you.” To which Carmilla simply smirks and steals away.

Laura makes a mental note to investigate that ball comment later, but for the time being there are way bigger, gayer fish to fry.

She pulls out two cute, plain white dresses with bows and holds them against her body. “Which of these is going to make Danny fall truly, madly, deeply in love with me?” Laura tries her best seduction look and it really just looks like a constipated puppy. Perry tilts her head with a “Sweetie, No” look.  Meanwhile, LaFontaine appears distracted and looks around. “Anyone else hear that Savage Garden song?” The other girls regard her with concern, but return quickly to the task at hand. Leaving LaF to pick at her ears, genuinely perplexed.

Laura throws her hands up in exasperation. “Nothing I own is good enough for what is supposed to be the biggest date night of the century and what could possibly be the start of the rest of my life-“ Before Laura can continue her dramatics any further, her attention is caught by a curious sight.

Carmilla’s Closet.

LaFontaine and Lola catch on quickly, all three mirroring the same mischievous look. As they ransack Carmilla’s clothes (and quite the _strumpet_ she is), Laura defends her actions by saying that it is _the least_ the raven-haired devil can do.

* * *

 

Laura fixes her dress for the 197th time and awaits Danny’s arrival. They found the most chaste dress available, a modest red and black polka dress with black ruffle on the bottom that straps around the neck. LaFontaine said she looked “smoking hot” and Laura could swear Perry actually seemed a little jealous for a quick second. Which was short lived before she mom-ed out and handed Laura a fistful of dental dams, suggesting she hide them in her bra. Safety first, Perry likes to say.

Laura twirls around her room; this dress makes her feel like an extra in _Dirty Dancing_ , she can practically hear “I’ve Had The Time of My Life.” She really did though and this confused her as she had actively shut down her Spotify (where there most certainly was NOT a playlist she somehow found the time to make for tonight’s special occassion).

The clock reads _7:58_ and time has never mocked her more than this moment (well, there was one time in the student lounge where a clock literally mocked her. It was probably enchanted. That is beside the point).

A hesitant knock causes Laura to nearly jump out of her skin (not unlike the “inside-out” epidemic of ’74. You seriously don’t want to know). She collects herself and answers the door, trying to be as casual as possible, but completely stopped in her tracks by the vision of Danny Freakin’ Lawrence at her door with flowers, in a form fitting dark green tuxedo, hair perfectly coifed with the most perfect curl resting upon her forehead. _Oh, to be that curl,_ Laura swooned.

Likewise, Danny was speechless, not used to Laura baring so much skin. She also really quite enjoyed her hair up in such a meticulously tousled ponytail (Laura was going for the “sexy bedhead” look that always seemed to work in _Teen Vogue_ ).

“You look-”

“You are-”

Both girls find themselves at a loss for words, usually so good at witty, flirtatious banter. Danny hands over the flowers, “These are for you.”

Laura smiles and accepts them. She turns looking for an appropriate vessel. While she’s distracted, Danny quietly smacks her forehead and silently mocks herself for “these are for you.” She’s a Lit TA, there was nothing better? Really?

Laura settles on her TARDIS mug, and they look adorable next to her computer as part of her investigative journalism HQ. Every desk needs flowers.

Danny simply crooks out her arm and offers it to Laura. “Shall we?” Laura happily obliges with a precious “We shall.”

“Wait!” Laura rushes over to her closet and pulls out two black plastic eye masks. Danny looks at them with amusement. Laura seems confused, “You said it was a masquerade. Am I not the only one who thought _Phantom of the Opera?_ You would think masks are synonymous to masquerade.”

She continues to babble and Danny falls in love with Laura Hollis at that exact moment.

* * *

 

So, the Ball happened.

Laura and Danny strolled the main campus courtyard, both disheveled from the evening’s events.

Masks long forgotten. Eyes slightly tired. Laura’s hair found its way to becoming less manufactured bedhead and more actual hot mess. Danny’s tux had a slight tear in the left arm, tendrils of her fire-y mane breaking free from their prison.

“Well, that went about as expected.” Laura plainly states and Danny chuckles to herself.

One of the Summer Society Sisters was working as a double agent and had infiltrated the university’s “library of doomed artifacts” (turns out, really shoddy security for such a dangerous place. Go figure). However, the perp did not grab the Gem of Acathala (which would unleash hell on earth, NBD) as originally planned. She accidentally grabbed the Amulet of Dionysus.

No denizens of the undead, fire breathing dragons, or tribal virgin sacrifice. The amulet simply causes anyone within a 5 miles radius to break out into perfectly choreographed song and dance.

All in all, could have been worse. Unless you hate _Glee,_ then it is a nightmare.

The only reason Danny’s tux was ripped is because she intervened and took out her traitor sister. By that time, the spell had already taken hold. A fate where everyone is doomed to sing about their feelings, and pop and lock until they drop. This was certainly one of the more interesting, far less fatal occurrences at Silas. She’ll take it.

Laura and Danny had enough after the entire congregation broke out into _Thriller_ (lead by LaFontaine, actually. Where she got the Michael Jackson jumpsuit, Laura doesn’t know. Perry did not complain). So, they snuck off. Although, Laura would be lying if she said she didn’t wish someone started a rousing rendition of _Ghostbusters._

Alas, it was clear that Danny wanted to get her alone (which Laura was 10,000% okay with). They approached the campus fountain, a Grecian style behemoth, featuring depictions of several mythological characters.

They sit down next to each other. Danny twisting her hands as if needing to get something off her chest. For a split second, Laura worries that an alien might burst out of it in a fit of cruel irony.

However, it’s just these words: “I had a really great time tonight, Laura.”

Laura simply smiles the goofiest smile and looks up at the stars. They are particularly bright this evening…she becomes overwhelmed and can feel a powerful force rising from her stomach and straight into her throat. She prays _for the love of GOD do not throw up on Danny Lawrence_ …but something else happens…

She starts to sing (and pretty damn well).

_Stars shining bright above you. Night breeze seems to whisper, I love you. Birds singing in the sycamore tree. Dream a little dream of me._

At first, Laura is entirely surprised that she’s singing (and again, quite well). She likens it to that scene in _Beetlejuice_ where Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin possess Catherine O’Hara into singing _Day-O._ What a great movie.

Danny is just as taken aback as Laura, especially since it’s accompanied by very cheesy, but mostly endearing choreography. The smaller girl pulls Danny to her feet, the height difference creating comical results.

_Say nighty-night and kiss me. Just hold me tight and tell me you’ll miss me. While I’m alone and blue as can be. Dream a little dream of me_

She playfully trails her hand down Danny’s cheek, who graciously plays along as they launch into a romantic waltz around the fountain. Other couples inexplicably having found their way over and joining the fantastical moment.

_Stars fading but I linger on dear. Still craving your kiss. I’m longin’ to linger till dawn dear. Just saying this._

Danny twirls Laura out, and she folds back into the taller girl’s arms in almost expert fashion (enchantment or not, all those years of dance lessons paid off. It was Krav Maga every Tuesday, and Ballroom Dancing every Thursday. A lady is always prepared).

_Sweet dreams till sunbeams find you. Sweet dreams that leave all worries behind you._

Laura’s voice swells and she giggles as Danny performs a lift entirely enviable of the iconic scene in _Dirty Dancing._ Laura is positively giddy that she’s living it right now.

Danny slowly and delicately returns Laura to the ground, never breaking eye contact. The other couples dance around them with abandon. It’s like a scene straight out of _An American in Paris_ , Danny spins her around once more with the swagger of Gene Kelly and the grace of Fred Astaire. Laura holds onto her for dear life and sings like her heart is going to burst.

_But in your dreams, whatever they may be-_

Before she can finish, Danny’s lips are on Laura’s. It’s soft and urgent, passionate and sensual all at once. Laura’s knees buckle and she has to tighten her grip on the Amazon princess, for fear she might turn to actual jelly (for all we know, it could certainly be a side effect of the spell). Danny slowly pulls away and softly sings (in an _unbearably_ sexy alto rasp)…

_Dream a little dream of me_

They stare into each other’s eyes for a moment. Danny becomes quite serious, “Be mine?” She asks, hopeful. Like she’s asking Cupid to spare her heart.

Laura chuckles and wraps her arms around theredhead’s neck, gently tugging down, “I already am.”

Their lips meet and they kiss a kiss that is meant for the movies, foot pop, fireworks, the whole nine yards. This may as well be _Moulin Rogue_ …without all the prostitutes and tuberculosis.

As they part, Danny looks into Laura’s eyes. They speak volumes and she’s never felt more wanted or safe with another human being.

Danny assumes that Laura will sign them up for couples’ karaoke. She sees a future of _You’re the One That I Want/Don’t Go Breaking My Heart/Can’t Fight This Feeling_ duets.

And she couldn’t be happier.

* * *

 

_Epilogue:_

Laura and Danny lace hands and begin to head back toward the dorms. Danny becomes distracted by several small packets strewn about the ground, “Are those dental dams?”

Laura’s face turns as bright as Danny’s hair.


End file.
